Back When Arnold Schwarzenegger Replaced Anthony Hopkins in a $238 Million Comic Book Film

Having been in the industry for over five decades, any actor would have their fair share of rejections. Sometimes the actor would have rejected it, while other times they might not be suitable for the role. The legendary Anthony Hopkins was no stranger to this process. It might surprise the fans, but Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced the legendary actor in the iconic role of the DC supervillain. 

When Joel Schumacher approached Anthony Hopkins to play a role in a DC film, the actor had already become a huge, sensational star. Hopkins is famous for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. He even won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his impeccable performance. Schumacher was hoping for Hopkins to play the role of one of the most vigorous supervillains, Mr. Freeze. However, the talks could never materialize as the director shifted his focus towards the actor who had the body of Mr. Olympus.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hulk Hogan got the offer to play the same role. Ultimately, the role of Mr. Freeze went to the Terminator actor. The 75-year-old actor had a great time making the film while Hopkins went on to reject another Batman film.

Before rejecting the Arnold Schwarzenegger role, Anthony Hopkins denied being a part of another Batman film

The DC Universe has a lot of heroes and villains who can be portrayed with an interesting story. Well, Christopher Nolan came up with one such interesting story and went to Hopkins. Nolan asked him to play the role of Bruce Wayne’s butler/parent, Alfred. However, one more time, The Lion in Winter actor rejected the role, and it went to Michael Cain. Despite rejecting these two major roles in the major comic book films, the Academy Award-winning actor has a list of renowned characters under his name.

Currently, he is set to star in a gladiator-esque series named Those About to Die. The iconic actor will play the character of Emperor Vespasian in the upcoming series. On the other hand, the former governor of California just finished shooting for the Netflix film, Fubar. Moreover, he is also a part of the 2023 film, Kung Fury.

Can you imagine how Mr. Freeze would have turned out to be if Anthony Hopkins played it? Do you think the former bodybuilder truly justified the DC character? Share your opinions with us in the comment box below.